Kari -- Voluntary Self Selection is the key. To quote from The "User's Guide" -- "voluntary self selection is the absolute "sine qua non" for participation in an Open Space(pg 26)." I wrote that about 25 years ago, and nothing has made me change my mind since. Yes it is true that people who are "told" to come will often find themselves creatively engaged, but that is a dicey call, and how much better it would be if they came of their own free will! After all this IS OPEN Space!!
The first words out of my mouth when dealing with a sponsor is that "attendance will be voluntary." To be sure this can occasion some interesting conversations, and some sponsors are so unsure of themselves and their people that they simply can't believe that people will come if it is voluntary -- which says a great deal about the quality of the workplace relationships... and not much of it is good. In the recently concluded OS that I did with the US foreign aid people for Africa, I made the pitch, and they were horrified. Some of the committee were positive that absolutely nobody would come, and all the rest seemed to be biting their tongues hard. But I made it clear that was my first condition for participation. I give them credit for going ahead, but the truth of the matter was that the situation was so critical (as they saw it) that they didn't have much choice. Desperation, I have learned, can help people do the right thing :-) As previously reported, the opening day of the gathering did have problems -- but they were occasioned by the fact that twice as many people came as were predicted. In fact of the 180 people in the Bureau, 177 came. Of the 3 no-shows, two were terminally pregnant, and 1 was out of the country. It all begins, I firmly believe with Voluntary Self Selection. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) Camden, Maine 04843 Phone 301-365-2093 (summer) 207-763-3261 www.openspaceworld.com www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kári Gunnarsson Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 5:11 AM To: World wide Open Space Technology email list Subject: Re: [OSList] inquiry OS Celia, and other that share there questions and experience good and bad. I give you my thanks as this informs my own actions. It also makes it save for me and others to do the same. I have facilitated open spaces as part of the program for an annual forum, my experience reflection shows me that when people are there for other parts of the program do not engaged for the progression of the theme. These are not the right people and perhaps they would be better served at the bar. Perhaps I could have done more pre-work to engage these people that had been selected to come, but I don't think so. I would have liked it if I had been part of the selection process so that I could have asked tows that did not have any passion for this to stay at home or simply not to waste there time. My time was not wasted but the time of the people that did care was blogged up by interacting with these people. I felt like they created an energy of fear and insecurity. But perhaps this is the fault of the event to provide the security for them to engage, but I don't think so. It was only fault of the invitation process. but the harm was minimal in my cases. With best greetings Kári _______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org _______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
